And now Kate has decided to leave to work on ITV police drama Bancroft and will be replaced by Iain in the coming months.

Confirming the news to The Sun, Kate said: "I'll be forever grateful for this opportunity and all it has given me, but I'm also excited to try something new."

A source added to the publication: "It was always a matter of when, not if, with Kate going, and now it's been confirmed she's leaving.

"There's a feeling of jumping before she was pushed. But she is staying within the ITV family."

The shock Coronation Street exit comes after backlash to recent storylines such as David Platt's rape[ITV]

"The storylines she worked on, while rating successes, were very divisive among viewers and the cast and crew. Everyone is looking forward to seeing what the future on the soap looks like now," they continued.

Several Coronation Street plots, including Pat Phelan's long-running serial killer plot, have come under fire from fans of the soap in recent months.